Transylvania University’s police chief and president took down coffee shop attacker

The chief of Transylvania University’s public safety department and the president of the university worked together to take down a knife-wielding man who attacked students in a campus coffee shop Friday morning.

The two men happened to be nearby when the violence erupted, and their quick action stopped the attacker before more people might have been hurt.

Never miss a local story.

Gregg Muravchick, director of public safety, recalled the dramatic events in an interview Saturday.

Muravchick said he had just helped a father who was dropping some things off for his son at the Transy administration building when Muravchick received an alert from the campus police dispatcher: Someone had pressed a panic alarm behind the register at Jazzman’s Café, right next door.

As he ran toward the Glenn Building, which houses the cafe and admissions office, he saw a female student on the lawn who had been stabbed.

After the student who was stabbed escaped onto the lawn, a university accounting department employee, Joy Henderson, attended to the student’s wounds until an ambulance arrived, Carey said in a letter to the university community.

The victim was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

A second female student was treated by paramedics on campus after Adkins hit her, according to police and fire officials.

Muravchick has led the Department of Public Safety at Transylvania for six years after more than three decades of police work at other agencies, including the Kentucky State Police, Frankfort police, Franklin County sheriff’s office and the state justice cabinet.

“I still love it,” he said. “Love the kids, love the university and community.”

Muravchick’s two sons work for the Lexington police.

He said he and his staff regularly train with the Lexington Police Department. The two departments completed an active-shooter training together just a few weeks ago.

“We were very blessed that the dad needed an escort” in the building adjacent to where the attack occurred, Muravchick said. “There were angels watching over us.”

How to get a perfect 36 on the ACT — advice from students who've done it

How America's big and small counties differ

Here's how the NCAA basketball bribery schemes worked

Fugitive Eric Conn arrives back in Lexington under FBI custody

The FBI regained custody of fugitive lawyer Eric C. Conn on Tuesday following his capture in Honduras over the weekend. Within hours, he was back in Lexington, landing just after 7 p.m. and then escorted to an SUV.